Thursday, July 23, 2015

1876 - OF Ginger Beaumont was born in Rochester, Wisconsin. He played eight seasons (1899-1906) for Pittsburgh, hitting .321 with 757 runs scored and 200 stolen bases. Beaumont led the league in batting with a .357 average in 1902, and in 1903 led in at bats (613), runs (137) and hits (209) while batting .342, helping the team to earn a spot in the first World Series.

1901 - Fred Clarke hit for the cycle for the second time in his career as the Pirates whipped the Cincinnati Reds 9-2 at Exposition Park behind Jack Chesbro, who struck out 11 batters. Lefty Davis, Honus Wagner and Kitty Bransfield added three hits apiece to the 16 hit Bucco barrage.

1912 - Claude Hendrix tossed a seven hit shutout, fanning nine, and Hans Wagner singled home Chief Wilson, aboard on a lead-off double, in the bottom of the ninth to give the Bucs a hard-earned 1-0 win over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. Honus used a little trickery; he showed bunt, then swung away. Hendrix and Braves hurler Otto Hess were in command throughout; only one runner from each squad had reached third prior to the Wilson’s run home.

Claude Hendrix via zazzle.com

1930 - The Pirates won the first game of a Baker Bowl twin bill against Philadelphia 2-1 as Heinie Meine slipped past Roy “Swede” Hanson, the match decided by a ninth inning Pie Traynor homer. The second game, twice delayed by rain, went 13 innings and ended 16-15 Pittsburgh. With darkness threatening, Traynor was again the hero, blasting a three run shot that barely was enough to hold off the Phils, while going 5-for-7 in the nitecap. The second game set a couple of single game records: With eight total homers and nine doubles, the total bases mark of 83 was established. The other record was total number at bats; the two clubs combined for 117 AB.

1947 - Ralph Kiner hit his 24th and 25th long balls of the year of the Phils’ Al Jurisich‚ breaking the club record of 23 set by Johnny Rizzo in 1938 and tied by Kiner in his rookie year of 1946. Pittsburgh beat Philly 6-2 at Forbes Field as Hank Greenberg also went yard.

1962 - Reds pitcher Jim O'Toole lost his no hit bid when Bob Skinner doubled with one out in the eighth inning, but still finished with a 3-0 one-hit win over the Bucs at Crosley Field.

1969 - After three years of low scoring games, the All Star contest at RFK Stadium featured some offense, with the NL winning 9-3. Matty Alou went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run while Roberto Clemente whiffed against Sudden Sam McDowell in his only at bat.

Matty Alou 1967 Topps series

1974 - TRS hosted the 45th All-Star Game, drawing 50,706 fans. The NL romped 7-2 with Pirate lefty Ken Brett, the Bucs only All Star, getting the win. He tossed a pair of scoreless frames, giving up a hit and a walk. It was the first of two times that the game would be played at Three Rivers Stadium, with the next played in 1994.

1979 - The Bucs won their ninth game in a row by a 7-1 count over the Atlanta Braves at TRS. Tim Foli went 3-for-5 with four RBI to lead the attack while Bert Blyleven tossed a four hit complete game. The Bucs pulled off the 500th triple play in MLB history in the second inning of the nitecap when Braves’ pitcher Phil Niekro bounced into a 5-4-3, Bill Madlock-to-Phil Garner-to-Willie Stargell triple killing at TRS, but had the last laugh as he spun a two-hitter in an 8-0 Atlanta romp, ending the Bucco winning string.

1986 - The Bucs sent RHP Jose DeLeon to the Chicago White Sox for OF Bobby Bonilla. DeLeon had a long and workmanlike career while Bobby Bo earned four All-Star berths with the Pirates, hitting .284 with 114 HR and 500 RBI for the Pirates from 1986-91. The Pirates had originally signed Bonilla out of high school in 1981, but the White Sox claimed him in 1985’s Rule 5 draft.

Jose DeLeon for Bobby Bo: Not Bad - 1986 Donruss series

1991 - A couple of milestones: Buc bench coach Jeff Banister made his MLB debut and singled off Atlanta’s Dan Petry in his only big league at bat. Banister is a Pirate lifer since being drafted in 1986. In the same game, rookie John "Rock" Wehner, now a Root Sports broadcaster, went 5-for-5 to become the first 'Burgh rook since Richie Zisk in 1973 to collect five hits. The Bucs beat the Atlanta Braves 12-3 at TRS; Gary Redus and Spanky LaValliere combined to drive in seven runs while Redus and Bobby Bonilla homered.

1996 - The Pirates traded RHP Danny Darwin to the Astros for minor league RHP Rich Loiselle. Loiselle spent his six year MLB career (1996-2001) as a Pirate and claimed 29 saves in 1997 after being converted from a starter to the pen. He finished 9-18-49, going steadily downhill after fairly strong 1997-98 campaigns. The veteran Darwin won 16 more games before hangin’ the spikes up after the 1998 season, closing out 21 years in the show.

1999 - The Pirates traded OF Jose Guillen and P Jeff Sparks to Tampa Bay for Cs Joe Oliver and Humberto Cota. Guillen‚ who had 28 homers and 154 RBI in his first two seasons‚ was having a down year after arriving at spring training a month late due to visa problems. He went on to have a half dozen 20+ HR campaigns, including 31 bombs in 2003.

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